Apparatus for making wire-glass.



PATENTBD JULY 2, 190A A. J. BALDWIN. APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. I

k l d 12v, 2141 PATENTBD' JULY 2, 1907.

A A. J. BALDWIN. APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1905 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED IATENT OFFICE- ARTHUR J. BALDWIN, 01" EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE-GLASS.

No. 858,366. r

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed July 21,1905. Serial No. 270,603.

i i l l l ever being somewhat different.

cation. rel'crence'being had to the drawings accompauyiug and formingpart of the same.

My inv'cut ion relates to the manufacture of sheet glass having areticulated strengthening structure embedded llu'l't'ill, and has forits object to provide an apparatus for producing such glass in a rapid,eilicicnt and cconomical manne n.

The invention will be more clearlyunderstood when described ini'olllicclioli with the accmnpanying drawings, in which Figure l is asectional view of the preferred embodiment. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectionalviews of two other embodiments.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. l, A and B are eo-actingrollers' over the latter of which passes a strip of wire meshed fabricC, drawn from any suitable supply thereof, as for example, the roll D.Between the two rollers is deposited a mass of plastic glass E, which.as therollers revolve in the direction of the arrow, preferably at thesame peripheral speed, is rolled or formed into a sheet F, with the wirefabric applied to one side thereof, namely, the outer side. The sheet Fis carried downward by the roller A, and strikes a table (,5, moving inthe direct-hm of the arrow at the same 7 lineal speedastheperipheralspeed ofthe rollerA. The

table andco-operating roller are spaced apart a distance somewhat lessthan the distance between the sheet forming rollers A and ll;consequently as the sheet 1 passes between the table and itsco-operating roller a portion of the glass above the wire fabric issqueezed or forced through the meshes of the latter. forming a smallmass of glass ll behind the sheet. As the table moves forward this massof glass ll is flattened out into a sheet on the under side of the wirefabric. this operation going on progressively and additions to theiii-ass ll being constantly made by the forcing of the glass through themeshes of the fabric in the manner above mentioned. "he ultimate productis therefore a sheet of glass I with the wire fabric embedded therein,instead of the wire fabric being applied on one side thereof, in thecase of the preliminary sheet I. I

The relative spacing of the rollers A and B, and of the roller A andtable (i has an important bearing on the operation of the machine. Ingeneral I prefer to have the distance between the rollers about .twicethat between the table G and the roller A. This produces the final sheetwith the wire fabric atsubsta-ntially the center of the same. If thedistance between the rollers is less than twice that between thetableand its co-acting roller lower surface of the finished sheet, whilea greater distance'bctween the rollers will produce the opposite effect,as will be readily understood.

In Fig. 2 is shown an apparatus embodying the same 60 principle that ofFig. 1, the specific mechanism how- In Fig. 2 the flat table is replacedby a cylindrical table .1, which rotates at the same peripheral speed asthe large roller A, and it will be clear of course that the twocooperate withsubstan- (i5 be employed as is necessary or desirable. Inthe ma- 70 chine of Fig. 2 the preliminary sheet is formed by a seriesof rollers L, L, 1.. The first roller L serves to carry the wire fabricL downward in contacfi'with the mass of glassli. If the glass ll is veryplastic it will flow through the meshes of the fabric adjacent theroller 7 5 L and will fall upon the roller L below or hang, from thewire fabric in irregular or convex mas When the fabric reaches the nextroller, 1/, rotating in the same direction as the one above, the glasswhich has passed through the fabric is spread over the same in a. 80thin layer.

Between the rollers L and L the same operation occurs, that is, afurther amount of glass flows through the fabric, which by the lastroller is formed into a thicker layer'on the inside thereof. By thistime the glass may have become too stiff at that. point for any more ofit to flow through the fabric, or it may be still soft enough to act inmuch the same way as between the preceding rollers. In any case.however, the roller J, being spaced from the roller A less than theother rollers. will have in a greater or les degree an effect similar tothat of the table (,3 in Fig. l, and the wire fabric will be located inits final position'in the sheet I. It will be observed that the rollersJ, L, L and L A all rotate in the same direction, any suitablemechanism, not shown, being provided for effecting such mo- 9:")

2, with the exception that a hat rolling surface or table 10 G isemployed in lieu of the roller J, making the machine more nearly likethat shown in Fig. 1.

The machines of Figs. 2 and 3 are specially well adapted for making wireglass by causing glass from the preliminary sheet to pass by the effectof gravity through 105 the meshes of the wire fabric, the glass thusdropping through being spread out in the form of a layer upon theunderside of the fabric. It is evident. however, that by having theglass sufficiently plastic in the case of the machine shown in Fig. 1the same result may be prolll) duced. That is, the glass constitutingthe sheet F will the fabric will be located proportionately nearer the ipass partly through the meshes of the fabricCand hang Ill) rollers,blast pipes, as, for example, M, M, may be from the same in the form ofirregular or convex masses, l or it may even fall down upon the table G.in any case it will form part if not all of the mass of glass from whichthe under layer is formed and applied to the contiguous side of thefabric. I

It will be observed that the roller ii in Fig. 1. the rollers l.. 1/. L.and the corresponding rollers in Fig. 3, I are spaced from the mainroller so as to form with the latter a sort of hopper to receive thepour or batch of molten glass. The effect of the hopper is to cause thepour to spread laterally across the rolls and descend evenly across theapparatus. I

A result which has long been desired in this art is the roduction ofwire glass with both surfaces clear and transparent. l have discoveredthat the flat table on which wire glass is usuallyt'ormed is responsiblelargely. if not entirely for the dullness or semi-opaqueness of thecontiguous surface of the sheet. It is therefore desirable that in theproduction of glass for use in places where perfect transparency isrequired, contact of the sheet with a table be avoided as far aspossible. For this purpose the system of receiving rollers K, Fig. 2,will be found of special advantage, since the glass in passing overthesame is never in contact with a metallic surface for any considerabletime, To avoid any possible sagging ofthe wire sheet between thereceiving provided for discharging a cooling blast of air on. the undersurface-of the sheet, the pipes for that purpose being connectedwith anysuitable source of air under more-or lesspressurer Such devices may beof any convenient-andwell known'type, and therefore need i not beillustrated herein.

It will be understood of course that the three embodiments hereindescribed are not the only ones of which my invention is capable, andthat even of those specifically shown, the various details may be widely5 modified without departure from the proper scope of the invention. t

What I claim is:

1. in a machine for makim. wire glass, the combination of rollers spacedto constitute a hopper and further apart than the thickness of thefinished sheet of glass. and a rolling surface co-opcrating with one ofthe rollers and spaced therefrom a distance less than the space betweenthe rollers. as set forth.

2. in a machine for making wire glass, the ombination of rollers spacedto constitute a hopper and farther apart than the thickness of thefinished sin-ct of glass. and a rolling surface ctr-operating with oneof the rollers and spaced therefrom a distance equal to the thickness ofthe finished sheet of glass. as set forth.

2!. In a machine for making wire glass. the comhltmlion of rollersspaced to constitute a hopper and further apart than the thickness ofthe finished sheet of gl: '5. a rolling surface co-opcralina with one ofthe rollers and sptlced therefrom a distance less than the space betweenthe rollers. and a series of receiving rollers arranged to re ccire thesheet issuing from between the rolling surface and its cooperatingroller and carry the sheet away from the same, as set forth.

4. in a machine for making \vire glass sheets, the collihination ofrollers spaced to constitute a hopper and further apart titan thethickness of the finished sheet op -glass, a rolling surfaceco-operating with one of the rollers and spaced therefrom a distanceless than the space between the rollers. a series of receiving rollcl'sarranged to reccive the sheet of glass issuing from between the rollingsurface and its tooperntln-, roller and carry the sheet away from thesame. and means for subjecting the sheet to a coolln agent in itspassage over the receiving rollers, 'as set forth.

ARTHUR .T. BALDWIN.

Witnesses l-Jnwano 'l. Mac-owns, S. S. DUNHAM.

